Glass forming machine having an automatic control system

ABSTRACT

A glass forming machine having an electronic control system for effecting automatic synchronous operation of the various sections thereof, all of which are fed by a common gob feeding means to thereby automatically and continuously form hollow glass articles.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,762,907 Quinn et a]. H Oct. 2, 1973 [54] GLASS FORMING MACHINE HAVING AN 3,471,278 l0/l969 Griem, Jr 65/163 X AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM 3,531,629 9/l970 Quinn 235/92 [75] Inventors: Richard M. Quinn; Jerome A.

Kwlatkowskl both OfMuncle Primary Examiner-Arthur D. Kellogg [73] Assignee: Ball Corporation, Muncie, Ind. Attorney-Gilbert E. Alberding ORourke 22 Filed: Feb. 22, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 117,586

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl 65/164, 65/163, 65/DlG. 13,

235/1511 235/92 EA A glass forming machine having an electronic control [51] "It. Cl C03b 7/00 System for effecting automatic Synchronous operation [58] F'eld Search 65/163 of the various sections thereof, all of which are fed by 65/29, 165; 235/1511, 92 EA, 92 P a common gob feeding means to thereby automatically and continuously form hollow glass articles. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 30 C 28 D 3,305,341 2/1967 Mumford 65/164 x 'gures MECHANICAL DRIVE 4 as w CONTROL SYSTEM ELECTRONIC 78 10k 10 78 10 G8 10 1o INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDlVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION TIMING AIULISTMENI I CONVEYOR PAIENTEHHHY 2mm sum m H6. IB

PAIENTEBBBT ems 1762.907

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2. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second electronic control means common to all of said forming means includes means for providing a series of electrical pulses representative of the progressive movement of the main mechanical drive means for such machine, means for coupling said electrical pulses to said second counting means, and said second control means including means for selectively gating respective ones of such counted pulses to each of said first electronic control means to control the sequencing and operation thereof.
 3. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 2, and including means for providing a readout of the number of cycles of operation of such single gob feeding means.
 4. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 3, wherein said readout means includes electronic counter circuitry and a visual numerical display means.
 5. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 2, and including means for providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each cycle of operation of such machine as a whole.
 6. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein said means for providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each machine cycle comprises an electrical pulse generator, and wherein said glassware forming machine includes a main drive shaft for driving said electrical pulse generator.
 7. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the output of said means providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each machine cycle is connected to said second counting means to provide a reset signal therefor.
 8. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the output of said means providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each machine cycle is connected to said selective gating means as one of the input signals thereto.
 9. AutoMatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 1, and including means for resetting said second counting means under the control of a reset signal derived from said second electronic control means.
 10. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein lack of said first electronic control means includes means for interrupting the normal operation of said respective forming means after a predetermined sequence of steps in the operation thereof, whereby a programmed stop is effected.
 11. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 10, and including means for initiating the normal operation of such respective forming means after a predetermined sequence of steps in the operation thereof, whereby a programmed start is effected.
 12. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 10, and including means for immediately interrupting the normal operation of such respective forming means, whereby an emergency stop is effected.
 13. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said glassware forming machine includes ware stacking means and wherein said automatic control means includes means for counting electrical pulses derived from said second electronic control means, and means for selectively connecting respective ones of such counted pulses in timed relationship to said ware stacking means, whereby a desired stacking of ware on an associated conveyor is effected.
 14. Automatic control means for a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said glassware forming machine includes a blank mold and has a conveyor and reject mechanism associated therewith, and wherein said automatic control means includes means under the control of said first electronic control means for providing a series of electrical pulses representative of the progressive movement of a ware article from said blank mold of such machine to the time of push-out onto said associated conveyor, means for providing a series of electrical pulses representative of the progressive movement of such ware article from the time of push-out onto such associated conveyor to the time of arrival of such ware article at said associated reject mechanism, and means for supplying an electrical actuating signal for such associated reject mechanism at the expiration of such second period of time.
 15. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass, comprising means for feeding successive gobs of molten glass at a uniform rate, a plurality of glassware forming means each constituting a section of such machine for repetitively performing a sequence of steps in the formation of rigid glassware articles from gobs taken from said feeding means, first electronic control means individual to each of said glassware forming means including first counting means and first control means for automatically controlling the order and duration of the several steps performed by the respective forming means, and second electronic control means responsive to the rate of gob feed and including second counting means and second control means connected with said first counting means of each of said first electronic control means for control of said first control means therein whereby said second electronic control means automatically controls the sequencing and operation of said first electronic control means in timed relationship with each other and relative to the rate of gob feed from the gob feeding means.
 16. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 15, wherein said second electronic control means common to all of said forming means includes means for providing a series of electrical pulses representative of the progressive movement of the main mechanical drive means for said machine, meAns for coupling said electrical pulses to said second counting means, and said second control means including means for selectively gating respective ones of such counted pulses to each of said first electronic control means to control the sequencing and operation thereof.
 17. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 16, and including means for providing a readout of the number of cycles of operation of said gob feeding means.
 18. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 17, wherein said readout means includes electronic counter circuitry and a visual numerical display means.
 19. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 16, and including means for providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each complete cycle of operation of said machine as a whole.
 20. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance wiith claim 19, wherein said means for providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each machine cycle comprises an electrical pulse generator driven by the main drive shaft of said machine.
 21. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 19, wherein the output of said means providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each machine cycle is connected to said second counting means to provide a reset signal therefor.
 22. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 19, wherein the output of said means providing an electrical pulse at the completion of each machine cycle is connected to said selective gating means as one of the input signals thereto.
 23. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 15, and including means for resetting said second counting means under the control of a reset signal derived from said second electronic control means.
 24. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 15, wherein lack of said first electronic control means includes means for interrupting the normal operation of said respective forming means after a predetermined sequence of steps in the operation thereof, whereby a programmed stop is effected.
 25. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 24, and including means for initiating the normal operation of said respective forming means after a predetermined sequence of steps in the operation thereof, whereby a programmed start is effected.
 26. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 24, and including means for immediately interrupting the normal operation of said respective forming means, whereby an emergency stop is effected.
 27. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 15, including means for counting electrical pulses derived from said second electronic control means, and means for selectively connecting respective ones of such counted pulses in timed relationship to ware stacking means forming a part of said machine, whereby a desired stacking of ware on an associated conveyor is effected.
 28. A glassware forming machine for forming rigid glassware articles from molten glass in accordance with claim 15, including means under the control of said first electronic control means for providing a series of electrical pulses representative of the progressive movement of a ware article from a blank mold of said machine to the time of push-out onto an associated conveyor, means for providing a series of electrical pulses representaive of the progressive movement of such ware articLe from the time of push-out onto such associated conveyor to the time of arrival of such ware article at an associated reject mechanism, and means for supplying an electrical actuating signal for such associated reject mechanism at the expiration of such second period of time.
 29. Automatic control means for starting and stopping a glassware forming machine having a plurality of section means each of which has means for performing a sequence of steps in the formation of rigid glassware articles, said automatic control means comprising means for starting the normal operation of each of said forming section means by causing a predetermined sequence of steps in the operation thereof to be performed without interruption whereby a programmed start is effected and means for interrupting the normal operation of each of said forming section means, said interrupting means being effective only after said predetermined sequence of steps in the operation thereof have been performed, whereby a programmed stop is effected.
 30. Automatic control means for starting and stopping a glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 29 and including means for immediately interrupting the normal operation of such respective forming means, whereby an emergency stop is effective. 